Oscars 2012: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

{by Brittany Sadler}

Ahhhh, the Oscars! That night when Hollywood recaptures a little taste of its old glamour (and infuses it with a lot of modern tackiness), when stars attempt to actually look like stars, and where dresses go to find out what they’re really made of.

So, I unashamedly admit that I enjoy the Oscars mostly because of the fashion. And here are, in my humble opinion, the best and worst of the 2012 red carpet.

BEST- A Nod of Recognition To the Truly Glamorous

Milla Jokovich in Ellie Saab

I’m in love with this look. So old Hollywood. She looks exactly the way a movie star should look. That gleaming one shoulder creation is the definition of glamorous while her slightly undone hair keeps the look from being too “perfect.” Oh, and the red lipstick, gorgeous.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

           

Coral is definitely her color. This dress is so right in so many ways. The color flatters her pale skin and light hair, the fit is superb and all in all, it’s just a drop dead gorgeous dress.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

           

I know she got some grief for this choice, but I thought it was stunning. The cape is daring and elegant, while the dress fits her perfectly. The sleek ponytail and bold cuff bracelet add a little Star Wars chic.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

           

So, I didn’t realize redheads could look this great in black and gold. The dress is a work of art, and she looks absolutely amazing in it. Her hairstyle is beautiful too, soft, relaxed waves flatter, but don't compete with the elaborate dress.

Cameron Diaz in Gucci

Nude is not my favorite color, but if you’re going to do it, this look rocks. From a purely design standpoint, this dress was just perfect, so beautifully detailed and proportioned.

Glenn Close in Zac Posen

           

One of my favorite things is when elegant older women strut their stuff on the red carpet. And Glenn Close knocks it out of the ballpark with this one, the dress fits perfectly and the tailored tuxedo jacket brings in a modern edginess.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

           

This girl definitely knows how to dress. This gown’s shining white color and sparkling starburst looks great on her.

Natalie Portman in vintage Christian Dior

           

Ok, so there were some snide remarks about the polka dots on the red carpet, but I loved it. True vintage elegance, and the polka dots add a cute, quirky element.

Angelina Jolie in Versace

Classic black in a classic, elegant silhouette. Hard to go wrong there. But I’m not sure about the whole stick-your-leg-out-of-the-very-high-slit thing…not so classy.

Lily Collins in Marchesa

Loved this actress when I saw her in Blindside, and I now know that she also has great style. I love how creative and ethereal this dress is, the full skirt is beautiful on her, and the long sleeves are demure and eye-catching.

SO CLOSE, BUT YET SO FAR AWAY- A Tribute To Those Who Almost Made It

Emma Stone in Giambatiista Valli

This dress was such a good idea….it just didn’t turn out that well. The high neckline plus the extravagant bow kind of overpowers the whole look.

Stacy Keibler in Marchesa

A lot of people loved this gown…I wasn’t feeling it. The giant rose on her hip just seems odd, it pulls all the fabric into one big lump.

Meryl Streep in Lanvin

Not that she really cares what anyone thought of her gown as she was busy winning her third Oscar, but it wasn’t quite right. The glittering gold color is beautiful, but the fabric looks cumbersome, and the style isn’t graceful.

WORST- A Pained Look At the Fashion Flops of the Night

Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel

Kind of like a bunch of limp, nude, tissues. The whole dress just looks sad, not like an Oscar dress.

Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab

Now, being green is one thing, but not if you have to sacrifice style. This is kind of what I would imagine a dress would look like if you scrubbed it in saltwater and then hung it out to dry in the sun and it faded.

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

She was so amazing in The Help. But this dress….it didn’t look like it fit properly, the bodice was a little too, you know, open, and the embellishments aren’t proportioned. Also not loving the color, especially with her orange hair.

Rooney Mara in Givenchy

She made a lot of best-dressed lists in this one. But I didn’t love it. The bodice is kind of weird and doesn’t flatter her at all, the dress looks a little too big or something, it seems to be sagging. And her hair and makeup just aren’t attractive, in my opinion.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

Ummmm, yeah. There are a lot of things wrong with this dress. The slits in the sleeves make her arms look large, the neckline is too low, and the lines of the dress don’t do much for her.

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa

It really pains me to put her in this category, but this dress is truly awful. The bodice is so baggy, and then that weird gold creeping thing around her waist….not good. And then her ponytail is too tight and too severe.

Melissa McCarthy in Marina Rinaldi

This was a Grecian disaster. The color was dusty and drab, while the voluminous everything was just a bit too much.

So…the question is…do you agree? Who do you think should have made best-dressed? Or worst?